Thesis StatementEthical considerations and a break with original philosophies notwithstanding, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has been consistently able to outperform its competitors and delight its shareholders.

Thesis StatementEthical considerations and a break with original philosophies notwithstanding, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has been consistently able to outperform its competitors and delight its shareholders.

Sam Walton and his wife Helen opened the first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962, offering their neighbors a new kind of discount retailer. In 1972 Wal-Mart went public with its first offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Buoyed by this infusion of new capital, by the close of the decade Wal-Mart was operating nearly 300 stores in 11 states. Presently, the company operates internationally with over 7,000 stores, employing more than 2 million associates and serving over 176 million customers a year.

Despite their reputation as being one of the most successful retailers in the world, the Wal-Mart organization is not without its share of growing pains and headaches.

English: Inside the Walmart (still branded as Wal-...

A protest in Utah against Wal-Mart

This is a selfmade image from the english wikipedi...

The company has been assailed by environmentalists, unionists, women's and minority rights advocates, fair trade commissions and suppliers as well as state and local governments claiming unfair biases and misleading business practices. Opponents and opportunists have cited the departure of the company from its original philosophies and guiding principles in the name of profitability. At the same time Wal-Mart has demonstrated consistent growth and has met the expectations of shareholders at every turn.

This brief presentation will offer several views on how this has been accomplished. The team will discuss Wal-Mart's ethical overview and compliance with applicable financial regulations, demonstrate a series of calculations reviewing key performance indicators for 2006 and 2007, and finally offer comment on the trends shown by these indicators.

Sam Walton established three basic beliefs in which Wal-Mart remain firmly committed. These...

... of the company. According to the official website of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), their main goal is to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation (SEC, 2008). After the stock ...

... of EDGAR is to perform, "…automated collection, validation, indexing, acceptance, and forwarding of submissions by companies and others who are required by law to file forms with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission" (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ...

... of Corporate Finance, 4th ed. New York ... performing an audit. The area of financial ethics that has made the largest impact on organizations today is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires management and auditors to state their opinion of the effectiveness of ... key ...

... of employee stock compensation issued prior to January 1, 2003. The Securities and Exchange Commission certifies that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), attests to the quality of UPS 's public disclosure. In addition the CEO certifies to the New York Stock Exchange ...

8 pages373Aug/20063.4

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